The Sexta Espada
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Central 46 grants Starrk, Harribel and Grimmjow a special honor for their assistance in the war with the quincies, but more happens than any of them expected when the 'gift' goes awry...yaoi, suggested yuri, mpreg...Grimmjow/Byakuya with a side of Shunsui/Starrk and suggestion of Harribel/Soi Fon.
1. The Pardon

**The Sexta Espada**

**By Spunky0ne (a request by Red Cr0w)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**After the war with the quincies, three Espadas are chosen by Central 46 to receive a special honor. But what will happen when the procedure goes unexpectedly awry?**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: The Pardon**

Within the meeting chamber of Central 46, the 46 councilors looked down from behind their barriers at the three hollows who stood waiting in the center of the room. The first was a tall, rugged man with unkempt, wavy brown hair and handsome blue-grey eyes. The second was a tall, athletic and buxom woman with blonde hair and eyelashes, angry green eyes and a flickering reiatsu that threatened mayhem. The final Espada was a slender, glaring male with ice blue hair and eyes and a challenging expression. All three looked less than pleased at the dubious 'honor' of being addressed directly in a council meeting by the Seireitei's lawmakers.

"Starrk Coyote," the head councilor said sternly, "Harribel Tier and Jaegerjaques Grimmjow, welcome to Central 46. We appreciate you accepting our invitation to join us so that we can show you our gratitude for your efforts in the war. Kyouraku Soutaichou has spoken highly of the three of you. In fact, your actions were instrumental in helping us to defeat the quincy king. Please accept our thanks."

"Forgive me," Starrk said, stepping forward slightly, "but to be honest, none of the three of us chose to help out of any love for the shinigamis. We were fighting for our lives, the same as all of you. I do have some gratitude for Kurotsuchi Mayuri for being responsible for reviving me, however, that is mitigated by the fact the man made me a _zombie_ and used me without any regard for what I might have wanted. My real gratitude goes to Urahara Kisuke for finding a way to return me out of that zombie state. I don't really need your gratitude, but I thought it would be rude not to attend, since you asked so nicely by sending those goons to round us up."

"I am with Starrk," Harribel said in a low, challenging tone, "While it is true that your officers rescued me from the Wandenreich, I was held in equally uncomfortable conditions until my comrades arrived and freed me."

"And still, you did defend the soul king," the head councilor pointed out, "so we felt that we needed to both compensate you for the inconveniences and also do something to show our appreciation for your efforts in the final battles."

"I just did what I was contracted to do," Grimmjow growled irascibly, "I didn't do it for you old, stuck up bastards and I didn't do it for your soul king!"

"We are aware of your less than commendable attitudes," the head councilor said dryly, "But while we do not condone your behavior overall, there are strict guidelines for our treatment of former enemies who come to our aid. We are compelled by our charters to offer you treatment for your wounds, which we have, as well as compensation for your losses and troubles, and some manner of award for your achievements."

"You don't need to..." Starrk began.

"Nevertheless, we shall follow the laws of our society. We have healed all of you and now we will offer something commensurate to your actions."

"Oh? And what do you have to offer us?" Harribel asked confrontationally, "What do shinigamis have that us hollows would want besides the taste of your reiatsu?"

Grimmjow snickered and behind their respective shields, the councilors scowled and whispered angrily to each other.

"We think that what we have to offer you is appropriate, given that you are hollows and former enemies, but also allies in this war."

He paused as the large double doors leading into the chamber opened and three men and a woman entered the room. The first, a man with shadowed grey eyes and pale hair, gave the three an amused smile and bowed his head briefly in greeting. The second, a small, scowling woman with odd braids in her hair, and wearing a second division taichou's haori, simply glared at them and waited. The third and highest ranked in the group, smiled warmly at them, which sent a slight chill down Starrk's spine as he recognized the new soutaichou as the man who had killed him in the Arrancar conflict. The final taichou, a very lovely and solemn dark haired man with steel colored eyes, merely stood gazing at them and waiting.

"What the hell is this?" Grimmjow demanded, "Why are these guys here?"

"I think you need to make your intentions clear," Starrk insisted, his voice growing angry, "We begin to feel surrounded. After all, the war with the quincies is over and we are not bound by that alliance anymore, but still you..."

"Do try to be patient," the head councilor chided him, "I know you are hollows and not so mannerly, but we will explain. Urahara-san?"

"Okay, like Head Councilor Yuudai said, we all appreciate your accomplishments in the war," Kisuke began, "And Central 46 spent a lot of time considering what would be the proper way to thank all of you. We thought a party mingling our forces would be pretty dangerous, now that the agreements between us have lapsed."

"You are probably right about that," Starrk sighed, "I don't have much interest in getting drunk with a bunch of shinigamis."

"And medals and ceremonies..." Kisuke added.

"Would just bore the crap out of us," Grimmjow finished.

"Right," the shopkeeper agreed.

"So, where exactly do you come in, Urahara-san?" asked Harribel, looking somewhat less angry and more curious.

"Well," Kisuke went on, "as I said, the councilors couldn't figure out exactly what to do because nothing they came up with seemed right. But about the time they were ready to pull out what's left of their gray hair, I showed up to present a new invention...to get their approval. And the guys here liked it so much that they decided to offer you its fine benefits."

"Yeah?" Grimmjow growled, "and what are those?"

"Well," Kisuke said, dropping into a 'selling' voice, "Aren't you guys all kinda done with hanging around that dark desert, being bored outta your minds, living without sunlight and all that?"

"Well," Starrk said, looking amused, "We _are_ hollows, after all."

"Yeah, you are. You're hollows...ones who worked your way up from mondless animals and have actually regained your minds. You're not all that far from shinigamis..."

"Except for the masks and the lack of our hearts," Harribel concluded.

"And for a long time, that was a big, huge problem," Urahara said charmingly, "Because, if you wanted to take the next step and be made back into shinigamis..."

"Don't _think_ we're letting you kill us, you bastard!" Grimmjow snarled, baring his white teeth, "Sure, we'd be shinigamis again, but we'd lose our fucking _memories!_ And while you don't seem to have a problem with that, I for one, do!"

"I agree with Grimmjow," Harribel said firmly, "And I demand that we be released at once!"

"I'm with them," Starrk agreed, "I'm lonesome, but I don't want to die...again...and come back with nothing!"

"Take it easy," Kisuke cajoled the three practically steaming hollows, raising his hands defensively, "No one's suggesting taking your memories. In fact, the invention I made is one specifically designed to preserve a hollow's powers and memories, while offering them a way to regain their shinigami souls."

"Come again?" Grimmjow mused, looking confused.

"You want to make us shinigamis again?" Harribel asked.

"And you will not take our powers or memories?" Starrk added disbelievingly, "How is that possible? The pain from our human lives becomes our mask and powers. When we lose our mask and powers and are cleansed of our sins by a shinigami blade, we are separated also from all memory of our lives as hollows as our masks shatter and our powers die."

"That's been the way it was for thousands upon thousands of years," Kisuke agreed, "But with my invention, it's possible to open a connection between a particular shinigami and hollow and to allow the shinigami to break the mask and excise the in, while holding the hollow's identity, his or her memories and powers, inside their own hearts. I, myself, chose the three shinigamis to be assigned to do this for you, and the best part is, it's gonna happen right now."

"What?!" the three Espadas chorused, their eyes collectively darkening and their reiatsu beginning to swell.

"You are not laying a hand on us!" Harribel snapped, "_Killing_ us is no reward!"

"Ah," sighed Starrk, "but don't you see, Tier? In the guise of this 'gift,' these councilors are making sure that the hollow world can raise no offensive against them."

"And what do you care for the hollow world, when you will no longer be a part of it?" Yuudai asked sternly, "Do you really care that much about those barbaric creatures there that you would forgo taking your rightful place as powerful shinigamis here just to go and have to deal with them?"

"Just because we have regained our minds and civility does not mean that we have no feelings about them, or the world we live in," Harribel argued.

"Understandably, you feel a cameraderie with others like youselves," Yuudai acknowledged, "But you three will no longer be like them. You needn't bother yourselves with the pressure of ruling them, but can assume respectful places here."

"And just forget the others exist?" Starrk asked pointedly, "Sir, we may be hollows, but we, unlike the others, have a code of honor."

"Which makes you more like us."

"I don't fucking call shanghaiing us and bringing us here to force this thing on us any code of honor! You're lying, manipulating bastards!" Grimmjow seethed, "I'm not letting you touch me! The one who tries, dies!"

He stiffened as Urahara laughed softly and withdrew a small, black item that resembled a remote control.

"Relax, no one has to touch you at all," he purred softly, "And if you need more incentive, then think about this. If this transformation is a success, then I can begin a whole program to help more hollows to be saved this way and returned to life too."

"So, what you're really doing is using us as guinea pigs," Harribel spat, "I should have known we couldn't trust you!"

"Shinigami scum!" Grimmjow snarled, baring his teeth.

"Stay back," Starrk warned Kisuke, "We don't want to attack anyone. We just want to leave."

"Now, _I_ might have been willing to let you do that," Kisuke said with regret in his voice, "but as I agreed to abide by the rulings of this council when they lifted the ban on me returning to Soul Society, I've got no choice."

Before the hollows could move, he pushed a large red button on the device in his hand.

"Taichous?" Kisuke urged the officers.

Byakuya, Soi Fon and Shunsui stepped forward, Shunsui positioning himself in front of Starrk, Soi Fon in front of Harribel and Byakuya in front of Grimmjow.

"Very good," Kisuke went on, "Now, when the three of you were in the healing center, we actually had the three taichous you see do some bonding with you. They personally healed you. To open the connection, I collected a small amount of your reiatsu and matched it with a taichou who seemed to resonate well with you."

"What the hell is he saying?" Grimmjow demanded.

The Sexta Espada watched in dismay as Byakuya's reiatsu suddenly swelled into a lovely pink cloud around his body and Grimmjow's responded by rising into a complementary blue swirl. The same odd effect repeated itself between Soi Fon and Harribel, then Shunsui and the piqued Starrk.

"Anyone here find it odd that the guy who killed me is the one who's supposedly resonating with me?" Starrk asked, scowling.

"I don't even _know _this prissy prettyboy!" Grimmjow objected.

"Oh, I assure you there's no coincidence in what is bringing you together," Kisuke chuckled, "Grimmjow, there, once tried to kill his resonant's sister. Starrk, well, you said it, Shunsui killed you."

"What about us?" Harribel complained, glaring at Soi Fon meaningfully, "I don't even _know _this one at all!"

"But you know her buddy, Toshiro, ne? You tried to do him in."

"That seems like a little bit of a stretch," complained Starrk.

"Forget that shit!" Grimmjow shouted, "What are you doing to us?"

"Like I told you," Kisuke reminded them, "You were matched with a taichou who resonated well with you and that taichou infused your body with their healing reiatsu and a very tiny offering of their life force."

"Their...life force?" Starrk whispered, his eyes rounding, "But, that's crazy! To be touched by a shinigami's life force...?"

"Usually, you're right," Kisuke confirmed, "It wouldn't turn out well for the hollow or the taichou, but with this technique I created, the touch of that life force, the little sacrifice causes a change so that when your respective shinigamis touch you with their zanpakutous to break your masks, the little bit of themselves they shared with you preserves that part of you that would have been lost. Now, the transformation to a shinigami happens pretty slowly. It will take a few months. And during that time, you will be given a place to live with your resonant. The taichous will infuse your bodies daily with their reiatsu and soon, your hollow hole will fade and you will become shinigamis. That's it. No fuss, no muss, no memory and power loss."

"We told you we don't want this!" Harribel cried, trying to pull away from Soi Fon and screaming in fury as she found herself trapped and frozen in the swirl of reiatsu around them. Starrk too, found himself locked into a cloud of reiatsu and gazing at Shunsui's dark, friendly eyes.

"Hey, I really am sorry about what I had to do before," the captain commander apologized, "I didn't want to kill you but those were my leader's orders, just as your leader's orders were to kill me. Look, I know you're pretty upset about all of this. I wasn't pleased either, but the council had the right to order me to comply."

"I imagined it was something like that," Starrk said, shaking his head unhappily.

On the far side of Harribel, Byakuya watched silently as Grimmjow strained to break free of their mingled reiatsu.

"Damn you unbelievable sons of bitches!" the Sexta Espada seethed, "How dare you? How fucking dare you?"

He turned his deadly eyes on the calm noble.

"I'm going to kill you!" he screamed, launching himself at Byakuya, then watching in dismay as his extended claw sank into the noble's body without hurting him at all.

"What did you do?" demanded the furious hollow.

"Oh yeah," Kisuke laughed, "I forgot to mention that while you're in transition, you can't attack your resonant. Remember, they shared a little of themselves with you, so they're protected from your attacks."

He paused and watched as the furious hollows raged against what was happening, then wavered and began to sway ominously.

"Wh-what the hell?" Grimmjow panted, his eyes growing fearful, "What's happening to me? I...I c-can't...!"

"What's happening is that the transition is taxing your strength," Kisuke explained, "You'll get it back with rest and the infusions from your resonants, but you're going to be a little sapped from time to time. Don't worry, it's not harmful and you'll get used to it. It will go away when the process is complete."

"When the process is complete!" panted Harribel, "How can you animals live with yourselves? We honored the treaty and came here even though we didn't have to. You pretend to give us a reward for our cooperation, but instead, we are your guinea pigs! This is an outrage!"

Yuudai moved out from behind his shield and glared down at the three.

"We have done what is best for all of you, offering you an end to being the travesties you were and offering you a place in civilized society. There is no dishonor in any of that. You have been elevated above your hollow kin."

"What hollow kin?" Starrk aid softly, frowning as the infringing reiatsu began to overwhelm him.

The legs of the three hollows wobbled beneath them and one, two, three, they collapsed unceremoniously into the arms of their resonant 'keepers.'

"The three of you and you, Urahara Kisuke, are tasked with the keeping, caring, protection and managing of those hollows while they are in transition. You are to make frequent reports on their progress and inform us at once if they begin to deteriorate, for any reason, or if they seem too powerful to control."

"And what will you do if those things happen?" Byakuya asked, glancing down at Grimmjow's angry sleeping face for a moment.

"We will have them euthanized," Yuudai said coldly.


	2. Introductions

**Chapter 2: Introductions**

**(Thanks going out to kyuumihaira (Yeah, Central 46 is a sneaky bunch!), Tehwonderer (This fast enough for you, kiddo? :) Enjoy!), Nyma (Sure thing! And more is coming along quickly.), Red Cr0w (Aww, it was your idea. It was too good to resist. Couldn't help it! And here's more!), and Aria6 (I am writing Starrk/Shusui for the first time, so I'm going back in the anime to get some inspiration. That' what I do to keep it feeling like canon. It's fun trying new things!) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

"Hey, wake up!" a girl's voice said, breaking into Starrk's deep sleep and dragging him into a state of semi-wakefulness, "Come on! Are you going to just lie there all day?"

_What is this?_ the Espada wondered, _Lilynette? But she was destroyed when...?_

"Really. You'd think, now that we're not in that boring place and there are people around, you would want to do something besides lie on your lazy butt all day!" the girl berated him.

"Lilynette?" he said, almost dreading the moment when he would open his eyes and she would be gone again.

But even when his eyes opened, his hollow counterpart remained with him, kneeling on the bed and glaring at him.

"Well?" she said impatiently.

Starrk couldn't hold back a smile. He sat up, yawned and scratched the back of his neck slowly.

"It's about time," Lilynette said, crossing her arms.

"I wouldn't be too hard on him," Shunsui said good naturedly, entering the room carrying a tray bearing tea and a plate of warm, freshly baked pastries, "That enchantment of Urahara's isn't a gentle one."

Starrk turned his attention from his counterpart to the captain commander. His blue-grey eyes met Shunsui's with doubtful curiosity.

"Kyouraku soutaichou," he greeted the other man.

"Please, don't be so formal when we're alone," Shunsui chuckled, setting the tray down and fishing a bottle of dark amber colored liquid out of his sleeve.

He poured a small measure into the tea that had been prepared, then picked up on of the cups and sipped at it, watching Starrk closely. The Espada looked back at him quietly for a moment, then picked up the tea and took a sip. Instantly, the added alcohol sent a blaze of warmth through his mouth, down his throat and deep into his core. A pleased sigh escaped him and he glanced at Lilynette, who had begun to entertain herself by bouncing on the end of the bed.

"Lilynette, will you find something else to do?" Starrk asked pointedly.

"If you like, my attendant will take you to visit Ukitake taichou," Shunsui offered.

"Like I'd want to see him!" the girl scoffed, continuing her bouncing, "Baka!"

"I'm sure if you go and say hello, he'd be willing to let you spar with his zanpakutou spirits," the captain commander continued, unfazed, "and he is one who likes to indulge in sweets after a good workout."

"Eh, whatever," Lilynette sighed, bounding off the bed and starting for the door, "You two are booooooring!"

Starrk took another sip of his tea, waiting silently as Shunsui regarded him and smirked around the edge of his teacup.

"I hope you slept all right," he said casually.

"It was fine. I was comfortable...physically anyway."

"Hmmm," the captain commander said, studying the pastries and selecting one, "I'll be the first to admit that Central 46 pulled a fast one on you. I'm not exactly pleased they used us taichous to do it, but they're like that sometimes, and I was warned by my predecessor that I should choose my battles carefully. Besides, I'm actually a little curious. We didn't get to talk too much before."

"You mean, while you were killing me," Starrk reminded him dryly.

"Yeah," chuckled Shunsui.

"I'm so pleased that my death was such a source of amusement for you. I don't like you very much, you know."

"Maybe not," Shunsui sighed, "but it looks like you and I are pretty much trapped in this together, so I hope you'll try to make the best of it. As you see, your quarters are comfortable, there's plenty of food, warmth and company."

"I am a prisoner here?" Starrk asked bluntly.

"Weeeeeell, not exactly," Shunsui explained, "You are allowed to move around here, in the first division. My subordinates all have orders to show you proper respect and assist you if you need anything."

"But I can't leave?"

"You have to stay close to me so that if your reiatsu gets out of balance from the transition, I can be there to balance it with mine. You can leave the division with me sometimes. I wouldn't mind."

Starrk frowned.

"But Lilynette left by herself."

"Yeah. It's okay, because the bulk of who you are rests in your body. She is a part of you, but you are the core that she is connected to."

"Right."

The two went quiet, sipping at their tea and letting the sweet pastries fill their empty bellies.

"Ah," Shunsui sighed, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, "I think I need a nap."

"I'm starting to feel a little light headed," Starrk informed him.

"Mmm," the captain commander said, opening his eyes and sitting up again to examine the Espada for a moment, "Looks like you need an infusion. Pardon me."

Shunsui rose and stretched languidly, then slid onto the bed and positioned himself behind the wary hollow. His arms wrapped around the Espada and one hand came to rest over the hole in Starrk's sternum, while the other rested lower on his belly, just over his core spirit center.

"This is rather...intimate," Starrk observed, frowning as the warmth of the other man's body seeped into his and he felt an odd urge to relax into the captain commander's embrace, "Are you sure that this is just balancing? If I didn't know better, I would think that you were trying to seduce me. But, as I recall, you are a ladies' man."

"I do enjoy socializing with women," Shunsui confessed, looking amused, "But I am also one who enjoys quality in another man, if it is the right man."

"Oh?"

Don't be put off. I'm not hitting on you," Shunsui said more seriously, "I told you, I don't like Central 46 forcing us into this situation. But...you are interesting. I suppose I don't mind this too much."

Starrk gave him a dark look and remained stiffened for a time. But the more he considered things, the less he minded, and before the infusion was over, he was asleep in Shunsui's arms and snoring softly. The captain commander registered the little sound and chuckled, then eased off the flow of reiatsu and remained in the bed with the Espada leaned back against his chest. He sipped at his tea, letting his mind wander and enjoying the warmth that radiated between them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow moved in his sleep, registering something odd and slowly cracking his eyes open to take in his surroundings. He blinked in surprise at finding what looked to be long soft pink strands of some kind wrapped gently around his wrists, ankles and waist and securing him to the bed. They didn't seem to be terribly restrictive, but as he sat up and looked more closely, the soft bindings tightened warningly.

"What the hell?" he breathed, staring, "What is this?"

"They are sakura ropes," a soft, deep voice answered, startling him and making the ropes tighten again as he turned to face the speaker.

He recognized the man at once as the taichou who had been assigned to be his keeper, although he had shed his formal clothing and instead wore a lovely royal blue yukata and a pair of warm looking slippers. His long raven colored hair had been brushed to a shine, the decorative ornaments removed and his hair raised into a high ponytail. But despite the change to more casual clothing, he maintained the same proud bearing as before.

"They will move with you and will not get in the way. They will only tighten if your reiatsu rises and you become agitated."

"And why do I need to be tied up?" Grimmjow growled, glaring at the man, "I thought we were all on the same side and we were being given an honor. I guess we see how much bullshit all of that was, don't we?"

"I bound you to protect my staff," the lovely, stern man informed him, "While you cannot attack me, you could hurt my family, staff and friends. Until we reach an agreement, I cannot let you have the run of my home."

"You're that afraid of me?" Grimmjow asked, smirking.

"I have nothing to fear from you. And you have nothing to fear from me or those residing here, while you are our guest."

"A guest, huh?" Grimmjow said mockingly, yanking on the glowing pink ropes and making them tighten, "I think I'm your prisoner."

"You are only as much of a prisoner as you make yourself, Jaegerjaques Grimmjow," the man said calmly, "We have not been formally introduced."

"You're that girl, Rukia's brother, aren't you?" Grimmjow inquired, still glaring at him.

"I am Kuchiki Byakuya, 28th generation, leader of the Kuchiki noble clan. And yes, Rukia is my sister."

"If you're looking for an apology, I won't give you one."

"I did not ask one, nor do I expect anything from you but that you will respect the rules of my home. While neither you nor I have chosen this situation, we are, nonetheless, forced to endure it. I will make you comfortable, supply the infusions you need and acclimate you to shinigami life as you transition. How pleasant or unpleasant those things are will depend on you. You must decide how much you really think you are getting out of taking out your frustrations on me and then determine if you wish to accept your situation or fight it. Either way, the result will be the same."

"Huh," Grimmjow huffed, "Tell me, _noble_, are all of your family members pretty robots like you or do some of them actually think for themselves?"

To his surprise, Byakuya's solemn face showed no sign of a reaction to the insult.

"Are you hungry yet?"

Grimmjow blinked in surprise, then scowled.

"Screw you, you manipulating bastard! Get the hell away from me!"

He lunged at the noble, only causing the sakura ropes to tighten and hold him firmly as Byakuya regarded him with unreadable eyes.

"I understand your frustration and I will leave you to your thoughts. As you think about things, you might consider that I am not the one who chose this path for you. In fact, I opposed the idea when it was brought before the taichous. I was ordered to house you here, to make you as comfortable as possible and to stabilize you when you require it. I will do all of those things faithfully, even though I did not choose them. I hope that, despite your anger, you will cooperate as well. I would not like to have to render you unconscious for the infusions. It is much easier to balance your reiatsu if you are holding up your end of the connection."

"I don't _want _to hold up my end of the goddamned connection!" Grimmjow raged, struggling until the ropes held him too tightly to move, "I don't want to be connected to you at all! Let me out of this, you freak! Just let me go!"

"As I said," Byakuya went on, still in that perfectly calm voice, "I do not want this either. I am doing what I was ordered to do. Being of the hollow elite, I am sure that you were compelled to do things that were distasteful to you, but you did them, did you not?"

"Yeah, because we were supposed to get a payout at the end of the war, when Aizen became king," Grimmjow spat.

Byakuya moved a step closer, his dark eyes locking on Grimmjow's meaningfully.

"It must have been distressing when you realized that Aizen had no concern for you at all and was only using you," the noble said, a note of regret in his voice.

"Huh, well you fell right into his shit too, as I recall, didn't you?" the Espada asked sarcastically, "I heard that Aizen used your sister more roughly than I did when I beat the shit out of her."

"He set her up to die, using me to get the job done," Byakuya remembered, closing his eyes for a moment against the memory, "There isn't just deceit in Aizen Sousuke. He is a cruel man, who stabbed at the heart of everyone he ever pretended to care about. Be that as it may, the Central 46 council, for all that they are being manipulative are actually offering you a better future, Grimmjow."

"How would you know what would make a better future for me?" the Sexta Espada demanded, "You don't live in my head and you don't know shit about my life!"

"I know that you lost your fraccìon in the Arrancar conflict," Byakuya replied, "I also know from speaking to Kurosaki Ichigo that you have a code of honor that most hollows never would. You were always proud of your abilities, but you loathed that you were a hollow and banished to that world."

"Shut up!" Grimmjow howled, straining against the sakura ropes.

Byakuya watched silently as he fought the bindings, then suddenly seemed to realize something was not right. The Espada frowned down at his hands, relaxing so that the bonds loosened and looking for signs of damage to the skin. To his surprise, there were no markings from the ropes at all, nor any residual pain once he stopped fighting them.

"What the hell is this?" Grimmjow demanded furiously.

"Why are you surprised?" Byakuya asked, looking into his frosty blue eyes, "The orders given to me did not include hurting you, and in fact, I am to protect you."

"I don't need your damned protection!"

"Yes, you are powerful and usually independent. Being dependent on me for balancing will be difficult for you because you aren't used to having to depend on another for your well-being. And when you depended on Aizen Sousuke, he betrayed your trust."

"Well, I'm never going to make that mistake again," Grimmjow swore, closing his eyes for a moment, then realizing that the room seemed to be tilting strangely, "Wh-whoa, hey, what's going on?"

"Your reiatsu needs balancing," Byakuya surmised, not moving from his place at the Espada's bedside, "If you will cooperate, I will provide the infusion you need with you conscious, but if you are difficult, I will have no choice but to knock you out."

The two went silent, staring at each other and saying nothing as the dizziness in Grimmjow's head increased and made his body begin to lean and sway slightly. Byakuya slowly extended a hand, moving to place it over the hole in Grimmjow's midsection, only to have it swatted away.

"You do realize that you are only hurting yourself," Byakuya said solemnly, "I am trying to help you."

"Let me make something clear to you, _shinigami bastard_, I don't care if you are the only one in existence who can help me. I'm going to fight you, tooth and nail all of the way. I don't let myself get pushed around by _anyone_!"

Byakuya's dark eyes observed the Espada as he struggled to the point of losing consciousness from the imbalance. The noble waited until the hollow had collapsed and gone still before moving or speaking again. When he moved, he moved slowly and his hands touched Grimmjow with unexpected gentleness.

"It is devastating to have your trust broken as happened with Aizen Sousuke. Your anger, though misdirected, is understandable."

Byakuya opened the Espada's yukata, baring Grimmjow's thin, muscular form and sending a breath of his musky, masculine scent over the noble's senses, making his breath quicken for a moment. He shook his head to clear it, then placed one slender, pale hand over Grimmjow's hollow hole and one over his core spirit center. Glowing pink reiatsu flowed out of his hands and seeped into the Espada's unconscious form, soothing his discomfort and bringing his reiatsu back into balance. His pale lips moved and mumbled something unintelligible as Byakuya looked down at him quietly and completed the infusion.

"Byakuya-sama," an attendant said from the doorway, "I have brought the food you requested for...for...erm..."

"Grimmjow," Byakuya supplied, "You may call him Grimmjow."

"Y-yes sir," the attendant said uneasily, walking to the bed and starting to put the tray down.

"R-rawr!" Grimmjow said, opening his eyes suddenly and lunging at the attendant, only to be held back by the sakura ropes, "Damn it!"

"Grimmjow, this is Akio," Byakuya said, ignoring the Espada's poor behavior, "His brother, Torio, is my attendant, and their other brother, Koji, serves my cousin, Tetsuya. Akio is trained to provide whatever you might need for your comfort when I am not here."

"How about a knife to cut myself out of this!" Grimmjow suggested unhappily, "This is bullshit! Do you hear me? It's raving bullshit!"

"You should eat something," Byakuya suggested, "It will keep you in better balance while you transition."

"I don't give a flying fuck about eating!" Grimmjow screamed, "Let me out of here now! Let me the fuck out of here!"

"I will release your bonds once you understand how futile your rants are," Byakuya said sternly, "As much as neither of us wants this, we are, as they say, stuck with each other. Even if I released you, or you escaped, it would be a death sentence because your reiatsu would go out of control and you would die."

"Yeah, nice fucking reward I got for helping you bastards! I should've let that quincy nut kill you all!"

"And you think that he would have treated you more fairly?" Byakuya asked, "I know what happened to you when the quincy king came to Las Noches, Grimmjow. I know _exactly_ what he offered you. And I nearly died at the hands of his equally cruel officer, As Nodt. You will not get anywhere comparing the treatment you are receiving from me to that man's cruelty."

Grimmjow cringed as a memory from his meeting with the quincy king assaulted his mind.

_"You are useful as a fighter and also as perhaps something more," Ywach said, reaching out to touch the kneeling Espada's bleeding cheek, "Haschwalth, please take him to my chamber."_

Grimmjow swallowed hard, his heart pounding, then he realized Byakuya was watching him closely and giving no sign as to his thoughts.

_I know exactly what he offered you._

"F-fuck," Grimmjow muttered, collapsing onto his back and looking up at the ceiling.

In the next instant, he realized that the bonds holding him had disappeared.

"The sakura ropes will remain dormant unless you become hostile," Byakuya said calmly, rising to his feet, "You may explore your room and the gardens, as well as the common areas of the manor, but do not try to leave. The ropes will reappear and stop you if you do. And do not attack my staff or that will activate them as well."

Byakuya turned and started towards the garden doors.

"Wait, where are you going?" Grimmjow asked, sitting up slowly.

"I have to report to work," the noble explained, "I will sense if you need balancing and I will return. And if you need me, just have Akio bring word to the sixth division."

"The sixth, huh?" Grimmjow mused, a smirk teasing his lips.

"Yes. Goodbye, Grimmjow."

"Right."

He watched as Byakuya left, then contemplated the food on the tray next to his bed.

"Ah, what the hell," he sighed, "At least it smells good."

He took several bites, then relaxed against the pile of soft pillows at his back.

"Tastes better too."


	3. Look of Death

**Chapter 3: Look of Death**

**(Thanks so very much to Aku (Waiting's over, enjoy!), Anata no Misu (I'm surprised at how cute it's coming out. Glad you like it!), Red Cr0w (Thanks for the notes. I'm so excited about the things you suggested. More is coming soon!), Kittykins (Ah yes, who wouldn't enjoy 'taming' Grimmjow!), Winterheart2000 (No more waiting! Here you go!), Periwinkle (Grimmjow is a joy to write. He'll say just about anything and is so very temperamental. Love him!), Picklez80 (I am trying a few new things here, so that's always pretty exciting.), Dawnwind (You've got it, kiddo!), Kyuumihaira (lol, can't get anything past you! :) You're quick!), Aria6 (I really like Starrk/Shunsui too! Who knew?), SunlessNights (They are a fun couple! And here's more to enjoy!), Tomyallen (Yeah, Shunsui did get the more grounded partner. Byakuya will have his hands full as Grimmjow's pendulum swings around and his moods swing and fluctuate. This will be fun!), Kurai Daten-Shi (Whew! You may be right about Harribel/Soi Fon and Grimmjow/Byakuya. There's a lot of combustive energy and potential for damage there, but then that makes for some really passionate exchanges too!), Nyma (The funny thing about Grimmjow is that he's passionate and mercurial about everything, so he will respond strongly and have some dangerous mood swings. And Byakuya will be as usual, calm on the surface, but Grimmy will get to him. I'm glad you're enjoying this! I will have more to post soon!), and jmi (I love Shunsui/Juushiro too. After I get a few more storylines done, I have to write one about them. I've had them as supporting cast, but not in their own storyline. I'll have to see what I can come up with!), Take care all! Spunky loves ya!)**

Thanks for checking in," Shunsui said good-naturedly, "How are our _guests_ adjusting to their situation?"

"This is ridiculous!" Soi Fon spat, "What were they thinking? I don't care what that witch did in the war. She's disgusting and refuses to follow even the simplest orders. And because of the rules for their care, we can't even punish her!"

"Well, of course not," the captain commander chuckled, employing his wit to soothe his colleague's obvious frustration, "They aren't prisoners, after all."

"Right..." Soi Fon muttered sarcastically, "They just aren't allowed to leave."

"It is for their own good that they must stay," Byakuya reminded her, "Once Urahara's method was used to begin their transformation, they became dependent on us for their survival. And do not forget, they did not choose this path. Central 46 took this action without regard for our feelings or theirs."

"Typical," huffed the second division taichou, "But you're right. They didn't ask for it either. I just wonder why they sent her to me. She's pig headed, won't listen to anyone or obey orders and she's about as pleasant to be around as a menos grande!"

Byakuya averted his eyes and cleared his throat softly, while Shunsui suppressed a chuckle and patted the female taichou on the shoulder.

"They gave her to you because they know you can handle her. Can you imagine Zaraki taichou trying to manage her? They'd have killed each other already!"

"And good riddance to both of them," Soi Fon snapped.

"I'll tell you what," the captain commander said soothingly, "I'll take Starrk and go over to have a talk with her. He's coping pretty well and maybe we can find some grounds for the two of you to work things out."

"Good luck with that. I've had about all of her nonsense I can take!"

"And how about you, Kuchiki taichou?" Shunsui asked, changing the subject, "I've been wondering how Grimmjow would do, replanted in your noble manor."

"He is coping as well as can be expected, I imagine," the Kuchiki heir posited, "He was difficult at first, but once he realized that he couldn't do harm to my staff, grounds or me, he became somewhat sullen and quiet. I don't pretend to think our disagreements are over, but for the time being, the situation is acceptable."

"Huh!" huffed Soi Fon, "What did you do? Tie him down? I'd love to do that to _her_."

Byakuya observed her quietly for a moment out of the corner of one grey eye.

"I used my power to make harmless, but effective sakura ropes that apply themselves only when he is going to cause damage."

"That sounds like a pretty creative application, Byakuya," Shunsui chuckled, "But I suppose Soi Fon wouldn't be able to use her power in that manner."

"I don't think so," the female taichou sighed regretfully, "My shikai is deadly and my bankai too destructive. Kido ropes maybe?"

"As long as she is only restrained when she is likely to do damage," Byakuya reminded her.

"Yeah, no using that for seduction," quipped the captain commander.

Soi Fon glowered at him rebelliously, but let out a defeated breath.

"Can I go now? I have some scouting missions to see to."

"Why don't you take her along with you?" Shunsui suggested, "Her stealth abilities are good and she is powerful."

"I don't _need _her help doing my job!" the second division taichou snapped.

"No one said you did," Shunsui countered calmly, "It just might be good if you gave her something useful to do. Keep her busy so you two aren't butting heads."

He sighed and shook his head resignedly as the second divsion taichou disappeared in a scathing flash step.

"That's one volatile pair," he sighed, "I wonder how we're going to keep them from killing each other."

"Although either way, the problem would be solved," Byakuya said, sounding perfectly serious.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya watched quietly as the blue haired Espada peeked out of his room and looked around the quiet gardens, then stepped out onto the walkway and looked around again. The noble suffered a moment of distraction and brief uncertainty as a pair of warm arms wrapped around him from behind and a hot mouth nipped at his pale throat.

"Renji!" he gasped softly, breaking into a smile, "What are you doing here?"

"I got off a little early and came to see how you were enjoying your _guest_. He's not giving you any trouble, is he?" the redhead asked.

"Not as yet," Tetsuya answered, his sapphire eyes watching closely as Grimmjow stepped onto the garden path and moved slowly along, pausing to look around and to sniff softly at the flowers.

"I guess there aren't a lot of flowers to enjoy in Hueco Mundo," the redhead said, his voice betraying a measure of sympathy, "At least there's something good for them in all of this. Central 46 really screwed them over."

"I wasn't pleased to hear how they began the transitioning," Tetsuya admitted, "and I'm even more anxious that Byakuya-sama and the other taichous were compelled, rather than asked, to be involved."

"But, what are we gonna do?" Renji sighed resignedly, "That's what that bunch of councilors does. It wouldn't be a day of the week if they weren't pushing someone around."

He fell in at Tetsuya's side as the noble used a waterform to conceal them, then led Renji in the direction Grimmjow had taken. The two observed as the Espada moved silently along the trail, breathing in the cool, fresh air and blinking in the bright sunshine. He paused at the koi pond, looking down at his reflection on the water's surface, then examining the colorful fish.

"You are welcome to feed the koi," Byakuya's voice said suddenly, startling Grimmjow as the sixth division taichou appeared at his side, "but I would prefer you didn't eat them. I went to a lot of trouble to breed them properly."

"You bred them yourself?" Grimmjow asked, finding himself too distracted by the notion to be angry about being taken by surprise when the clan leader appeared.

"Is that so surprising?" Byakuya asked, "I am, after all, the one who made the gardens."

"You _made_ them?"

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed, lowering himself onto his knees and touching the soft soil near a cluster of bright flowers.

As Grimmjow watched, he closed his eyes and focused on his hand, causing a flicker of reiatsu to swell around it. He sent the reiatsu into the soil and the two watched as a green tendril emerged from the ground and slowly matured into a lovely red flower.

"Huh," the hollow mused, "I haven't seen that before. Aizen had a sort of atrium that he made so that the shinigamis who came to Las Noches would have a place where something grew. The bastard had to fool the damned things with his illusions to convince them the sun was shining on them. But it was nice to smell something alive and sweet like that. So...is that why you smell so good? Because of your connection with the gardens?"

Grimmjow felt a strange, warm jolt inside at seeing the light blush that rose instantly on the noble's face. Byakuya turned his head slightly to avert his eyes before continuing.

"The first incarnation of the soul king made his own gardens, and it was within them that he created the souls of the first great noble lords. My ancestor was fashioned from a limb given by an ancient sakura, and because of that, all members of the Kuchiki family carry traces of her scent."

"Tch," Grimmjow laughed softly, "If I want to smell like flowers, I have to go roll around in them."

He blinked as he suffered a sudden mental image of himself, naked and entwined with the blushing noble's also naked body.

_What the hell?_

"Grimmjow?" Byakuya said, frowning, "Is something wrong? Do you need an infusion?"

The Espada started to refuse, but suffered another powerful jolt in his loins at the thought of those soft, slender hands touching him.

"Y-yeah," he answered, closing his eyes for a moment and catching a soft breath of sakura, "Sorry, it must be a pain in the ass to have to drop everything and take care of me."

He realized that the noble had paused and was looking at him curiously.

"What?" he snapped, scowling, "Don't stare at me like that."

"My apologies," Byakuya said, touching his arm to turn him back towards his bedroom, "You were wearing an odd expression for a moment."

"You'd look odd too if you were yanked out of the life you knew and forced into transition like this, wouldn't you?" he asked, pulling free of Byakuya's hand.

"I suppose I would," Byakuya admitted.

He paused for a moment, standing on the wooden walkway outside the bedroom.

"Grimmjow, will you tell me something honestly?"

"Maybe."

"Do you want to be a shinigami? Not a hollow?" the noble asked.

"Huh," the Espada huffed, "You actually have to ask a question like that? Who in his right mind _wants_ to be a hollow? Being a shinigami isn't the part that fucks with my head."

"What part is that?" Byakuya inquired, his dark eyes fixing on the hollow's icy blue ones.

"Think about it," Grimmjow said, meeting Byakuya's eyes unabashedly, "Those bastards didn't just screw with our lives, using us as guinea pigs to test their way of reducing the enemy's power and raising their own, they used three of their own taichous. And I'll bet that there wasn't a lot of safety testing done first, was there?"

"This is the test," Byakuya said softly, "And you are right. The council did not ask us if we would participate. They determined somehow which ones of us resonated most highly with the three of you and they ordered us to assist you in the transition."

"I figured it was like that," Grimmjow sighed, turning back to look out across the gardens, "You know, Aizen was a complete bastard, but we knew that going in. These guys..."

"I understand your feelings," Byakuya said quietly.

The two froze for a moment, their eyes locked and the truth of their position radiating dangerously around them.

"Come," Byakuya said, breaking their reverie, "Let us see to that infusion."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So," Shunsui said casually, setting a cup of doctored tea in Starrk's hand, "How did it go with you and Harribel Tier today? Were you able to make any headway?"

Starrk sighed and leaned back against the shinigami as Kyouraku's arms wrapped around him and began the stabilizing infusion.

"She was difficult," he mused, closing his eyes and feeling a sense of relief as the discomfort in his abdomen was soothed, "She is always difficult. But I think she realizes that taking her frustrations out on the lady taichou was not going to get her what she wants. She should be more reasonable now."

"Heh," Shunsui chuckled, "women..."

"I thought you liked women," Starrk mused, feeling a touch of giddiness as his reiatsu began to fall back into balance.

"Of course I _like _them," Shunsui clarified, "but liking them doesn't mean I understand them. I guess that's why, even though I like women, I am more comfortable with men."

"I see that you are more relaxed with your male colleagues," Starrk commented, "I supposed that's natural."

"Yeah, say what you want about how exciting it is to unravel the _mysteries_ of the feminine gender. When you're talking about the likes of Soi Fon taichou and Harribel Tier, the only thing that'll come unraveled is your head!"

"I'll drink to that," Starrk chuckled, touching his teacup to Kyouraku's, then tilting his head back slightly to drink the last.

Shunsui set his cup on the nightstand and placed his hands behind his head, sinking into the soft pillows as Starrk moved and settled beside him. For several long minutes, neither spoke, each just enjoying the calm peacefulness of the evening. Starrk looked up at the other man curiously as Shunsui suddenly loosed a soft chuckle.

"What is it?" the hollow asked.

"Oh," Kyouraku sighed, "I was just wondering if the councilors of Central 46 knew that providing the infusions would make us aroused."

"You're aroused by me?" the Espada mused, looking slightly surprised.

"It seemed I wasn't the only one reacting," Shunsui observed, giving him a sidelong glance.

"No, I suppose not," Starrk admitted calmly.

Another pregnant silence opened up between the two as Shunsui sank further into the pillows and sighed again.

"Perverted bastards," he mumbled sleepily, "Sometimes I really don't like them."

Starrk found himself smiling wryly.

"I _never_ liked them," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Probably another reason you were identified as a being of high intelligence."

"So, why do you do it?" asked the Espada, "Why did you become the captain commander? If you don't like them..."

"Well, someone has to sort of balance their insanity, right?" Shunsui chuckled, "It never gets boring, that's for sure."

"I imagine. That's something like why I followed Aizen and helped lead the Espadas. I guess that the strongest have to do something, otherwise things would fall apart quickly."

"Yeah, my thinking exactly."

"You're quite intelligent too," Starrk commented.

Shunsui smiled.

"Thanks."

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow felt something soft against his cheek and cracked open one blue eye. He almost stiffened at finding himself tucked securely in the embrace of the lovely sleeping leader of the Kuchiki clan, but found himself inexplicably frozen at the sight. Byakuya rested against the pile of pillows, his expression peaceful and his raven colored hair swirling around his head. The soft folds of his dark blue yukata mingled with the tumbled covers around him, making the whole scene more surreal. Grimmjow had turned aside and rested against a partially revealed, pale shoulder with Byakuya's arm curled around him.

"Shit," he breathed, entranced by the unexpectedly attractive display.

For several minutes, he remained poised within Byakuya's embrace and just looked. The man was beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful creatures Grimmjow had seen up close.

_Yeah, seen up close and not been attacked by instantly._

But he wasn't sure that Byakuya _wouldn't _try to kill him when he woke and found himself in that extremely vulnerable position.

_Of course, those sakura ropes would keep me from hurting or killing him...but what if...?_

Grimmjow's heart pounded wildly in his chest as he continued to gaze down at Byakuya's lovely sleeping face, wondering if he dared to follow his rising instincts. He held himself back carefully, breathing in the noble's warm sakura scent and feasting visually on the teasing bits of exposed flesh that tormented him. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He reached out a careful hand and ran his fingers through the ends of the noble's hair, marveling at how it was every bit as soft as it looked.

But as soon as his fingers touched the man, Byakuya's hand shot up and captured the Espada around the offending wrist and his eyes snapped open and glared at Grimmjow.

"Whoa! Hey, don't get so tense," the Espada said, trying not to sound as scared as he suddenly felt, faced with the noble's death-promising glare, "I was just...I mean, you know that your sakura ropes would've stopped me if I was trying to hurt you."

Byakuya continued to stare at him icily.

"Besides, can you really blame me for doing that, waking up and finding myself in the arms of a really beautiful guy like you? What do you think I'm going to do?"

The noble remained frozen for a moment longer, then climbed out of the bed and turned away.

"You are not to ever touch me without my permission," he said calmly.

He started to take a step, but stopped as Grimmjow's voice sounded.

"Byakuya."

The hollow let out an impatient breath at the annoyed look he received in return.

"_Kuchiki taichou_," he corrected himself.

Byakuya's lips twitched very softly, but he said nothing.

"Sorry."

The noble's angry expression shifted to a look of surprise. He regarded the hollow silently for a moment longer, then flash stepped away. Grimmjow placed his hands behind his head and laughed softly as he laid back against the pillows.

"I'm lucky he didn't fucking _kill _me," he chuckled.

_It wouldn't be a bad way to die, would it?_


	4. Threshold

**Chapter 4: Threshold**

**(Just want to acknowledge the rocking readers out there reading and reviewing my work. And to show my appreciation, when chapters I post get 10 or more reviews, I'll put them on high priority so that they get multiple posts each week. It's really motivating to read every message, so even if you just say 'Love it!' or 'Great chapter!' it nudges my muse and gives her lots of kick to think up more. Anyway, my gratitude to Picklez80 (Yes, I also like how they are developing in different ways. It gives the story more flavor.), Willow (Oh, and Grimmy's crush is secretly returned by Byakuya, although he's more quiet about it, it will start to show soon!), Winterheart2000 (I play old episodes to get in touch with the characters and Byakuya does have a definite 'look of death' he gives people who really annoy him!), Aizenfan6969 (Both laid back and powerful men, Starrk and Shunsui have a lot of common ground, I agree.), Naeme (Oh yes, there is arousal between all of the couples, because the bonding they engage in is...well...Kisuke will eventually explain this, just not yet! But soon...), Havoc (No need for concern because he was just having a quiet moment. Even volatile people like Grimmjow have some introspective time. We just happened to catch him in a moment like that in the last chapter, but as you'll see, he is still very much the feisty alpha male...), Red Cr0w (Yeah, I think that they'll be spending some more time 'sans clothing' soon!), Tca0518 (This chapter is where we start getting to the heart of how these pairs were chosen and soon Kisuke will have to reveal more about his method than our friends want to know!), Kyuumihaira (I think you may be right!), Allybabe747 (Some time back, a friend urged me to pair Byakuya with Grimmjow and I wrote Blue Crescent Moon. I loved how that played out, so I was quick to jump on a new storyline for them!) Thanks again to everyone reading. I will have a new update very soon as this story is the first of my arsenal to earn 'high priority' status! Love you, Spunky)**

"Ungh!" Grimmjow grunted enthusiastically, bracing against Byakuya's raised reiatsu and pushing back where their swords were locked against each other.

With an effort, he was able to make the noble give some ground. Byakuya slid back several steps, but swiftly threw himself into another hard, head on strike against the Espada, Senbonzakura flashing as it struck Pantera and reiatsu sparking furiously where the two touched. Byakuya's dark grey eyes watched the hollow closely as Grimmjow circled and stalked him, then burst in to cross swords with him again. Kido lanced from the noble's slender hands, earning a sarcastic snicker from Grimmjow as he countered the worst with his blade and the less threatening bits with his own reiatsu.

"You think that's enough to hurt me?" he laughed, making his own power swell and curl around him, lighting him in icy blue.

Byakuya's eyes blinked slowly and he read the hollow's body language carefully, then countered the next barrage with a mixture of sword touches, kido and hakudo. He flash stepped as a strike came perilously close and Grimmjow laughed again.

"I'll bet you're sorry you took away those protections now, ne?" he said, smirking.

"The removal of the protections and limiter is only so that I may assess your progress. Now, I want you to attempt a cero."

"_Attempt_ a cero?" Grimmjow asked mockingly, "Why are you saying it like that? I don't just have a cero, you fool, I have a grand cero! But maybe seeing is believing!"

Byakuya's eyes widened in dismay as the Espada's power flared suddenly and the blue power around him began to explode.

"No!" he gasped, throwing himself at the hollow, expelling two shields, one that wrapped tightly around Grimmjow's body and his and the other closing them off from the area around them.

Grimmjow screamed in agony as pain raked his body from the inside and he felt the harsh burning of errant power blazing through his spirit centers. Byakuya's anxious eyes entranced his, and the noble's hand slid beneath his clothes, touching his bare chest lightly, sending something that felt cool and protective in under the stricken hollow's skin. The infused agent quickly coated his burned spirit centers and soothed the horrid pain, leaving Grimmjow panting and shaking, barely held on his feet by the still reeling Kuchiki heir.

"You want to tell me WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?" Grimmjow roared furiously, "I wasn't going to destroy your pretty manor or you, you stupid son of a bitch! You didn't have to...!"

"Were you not listening when Urahara Kisuke warned you three that the transition would affect your greater powers?"

"I must've missed that," Grimmjow snapped back angrily.

"Well, then you _missed_ his warning that you have to grow into your new shinigami powers gradually. Performing a grand cero would not have just been destructive to my home, it could have destroyed you from inside!"

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed into narrow slits.

"Yeah, well, I'll send you a goddamned thank you note later for the assist," he snapped, turning away in a huff and nearly falling.

A twinge of surprise passed through him as Byakuya's hands took hold of his arms, steadying him so that he didn't fall.

"Quit it! I don't need your _help_! You shinigami scum have done enough, you know? Fucking with our bodies like this. I ought to kill you and all the rest of them!"

"I understand your anger," Byakuya said with perfect calm, at the same time slipping the limiter back onto Grimmjow's slim wrist, "however, you must remember that I did not choose this path for you...or myself."

"Huh! Your _kind _did," Grimmjow fired back.

Byakuya's dark eyes locked on his meaningfully.

"You are becoming _my kind_, Grimmjow," he said solemnly.

"Great..."

"Did you notice that what came out of you was not a cero?"

"What?" Grimmjow asked, frowning, "It...it didn't feel any different."

"It wasn't a cero," Byakuya repeated, "What you expelled was kido."

Grimmjow went silent, staring back into the noble's eyes challengingly.

"When I touched you, I could feel that your hollow hole was significantly smaller. It diminishes a bit every day. And as it does so, you will slowly lose your hollow powers and regain your shinigami ones. But you must be careful. Your body is between that of a hollow and that of a shinigami now. Using your greater powers would put too much strain on your systems and you could break apart from the inside or have your power go out of control."

"Well, that's some great goddamned fine print, isn't it? They might have said something about that before!"

"They did," Byakuya assured him, "however, it is understandable that you were not in a mode to be more receptive at the time."

"That's why I have you, right?" Grimmjow said more resignedly, "to keep me from blowing myself up before they're done using me for their fucking guinea pig?"

"They are using me too," Byakuya said quietly, "You might remember that when you are tempted to question my motivations and actions."

Byakuya studied him silently for a moment.

"Are you all right now?"

"Fine," Grimmjow sighed defeatedly.

"Come, I will infuse you again. I am to do this after we spar, every time we spar to test your powers."

"Yeah, whatever."

XXXXXXXXXX

"How do you feel?" Shunsui asked, sheathing his sword and approaching Starrk.

The Espada gave him a wry smirk.

"Better than after our last meeting on the battlefield," he said, shaking his head, "But it felt strange."

"You're transitioning pretty well," the captain commander complimented him, "just be careful with your releases while you're in flux. We don't want you to hit the threshold too hard and destroy yourself."

"You don't?" chuckled Starrk, "Now, that sounds strange, coming from you."

"I guess it does," Shunsui mused, "but I have an incentive to be sure that you succeed in making this transition. After all, we don't exactly know what would happen if you destabilized...you know, how it would affect us because of the resonance that was used to bind you to us. You could just break apart and die, or you could take us with you."

"It makes you wonder about those councilors' priorities," Starrk sighed, "Your taichous are possessed of more rare, high level abilities, much like our Espadas. Why risk you?"

"They risk our lives every day, just in the commission of our duties, because protection of our civilization requires it," Shunsui explained, "I think that they were willing to risk the three of us because if the method is successful in the end, we could rehabilitate more Espadas and advanced Arrancars, both diminishing serious competition and danger from within Hueco Mundo while simultaneously increasing the number of highly talented shinigamis available to defend us."

"It's a brilliant plan, if it works," Starrk said, his tone skeptical.

"They, of course, plan to keep a few high level hollows in Hueco Mundo to keep some kind of order there, but not strong enough to challenge us. I guess it sounds barbaric, but they figure that it's helpful to the Espadas to offer them a way to revert to shinigami form without sacrificing their memories and having to start all over again."

"I don't know if I agree it's good to tamper with the natural order of things that way," Starrk posited, "There are often consequences that you don't see until it's too late."

"That is true," agreed Shunsui, leading the Espada back along the quiet wooden walkway and into the first division, "That is probably why they insisted on this trial run. They chose the hollows they judged as most likely to successfully transition and then matched you with taichous that they knew to be powerful enough to take a lot of punishment. If it doesn't happen here now, it doesn't happen."

"But you think it will work?" Starrk asked, frowning.

"Eh..." the captain commander mused, scratching the back of his neck and stretching, "Urahara Kisuke has pretty good instincts. I would trust him over the likes of Aizen Sousuke or Kurotsuchi Mayuri any day."

"As would I. He does seem capable."

"And he did come up with this method. Although he also came up the hougyoku, which was, at first, imperfect. So the guy does makes mistakes. But he's smarter than most of us, so I'd put my money on him."

"A ringing vote of confidence," Starrk chuckled, "Sort of. So, if this can work, he's the one who will find the way. We're only in trouble if the method doesn't work."

"Or if it hits a sort of hiccup," Shunsui added.

"I wonder what kind of 'hiccup?'" Starrk wondered aloud, his face growing solemn again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow stood beneath one of the warm, cascading waterfalls in the bathing chamber within Kuchiki Manor, his attendant shuffled off to one side and waiting patiently as he washed himself.

_I don't like people touching me. I don't trust these shinigamis. Maybe Byakuya, because he has a stake in this working and he'll suffer with me if it doesn't. But the rest of these guys have no reason to just accept me. I'm surprised none of them have tried to kill me._

He sighed softly and closed his eyes, letting the water run down his slim, naked body.

_It wouldn't be hard at all. A little bit of poison in my food or drink, some dastardly poisonous creature slipped under my covers...even the soap or shampoo tampered with. But no, that could endanger the master of the house and they wouldn't do that._

Good evening Grimmjow-san," a male voice intoned, startling him and making him slide back further under the cover of the waterfall as he studied the calm, curious face of Byakuya's naked cousin, head of security and personal bodyguard.

"You're Tetsuya?" he asked.

"Yes," the blue-eyed noble answered, stepping in under the waterfall next to him with an attendant at his side, "I see you have not asked Akio to assist you. Are you uncomfortable with him?"

"No," the hollow said gruffly, "I'm uncomfortable with letting shinigamis touch me all over. Is that a problem for you?"

"Not at all," Tetsuya answered, seemingly unruffled by the hollow's irascibility, "I merely wanted to know if you needed another attendant or if there was something else we could do to make you more comfortable."

"Naw, I'm fine. It just feels weird, getting naked with the enemy, you know. You mean to tell me you're okay with being naked and a few feet from an Espada?"

"You cannot hurt us," Tetsuya reasoned, "and as your wellness right now is tied to that of our leader, we have no incentive to hurt you. We are at an impasse for the moment, so no, I do not feel uncomfortable being naked and near you. Also..."

Grimmjow watched with widened eyes as Tetsuya's and his attendant's bodies suddenly turned to water and splashed down into the pool and the two reappeared across the room from him.

"As you can see, I am not without my own means of protecting myself and others. We need not be at odds."

Grimmjow shook his head and chuckled wryly as Tetsuya and Koji reappeared under the waterfall.

"Well, I'm not so comfortable, so I'll thank you to stay over there and not stare at me."

"Very well, Grimmjow-san," Tetsuya said, turning slightly away and gifting the hollow with a pristine view of his lovely silhouette.

"Fuck..." the hollow muttered to himself, "that's just hot...and not fair..."

He felt a discomfiting flush on his face and throat that slowly spread over his body. His spirit centers that had been aching ever since his sparring with the Kuchiki clan leader, throbbed harder and he felt sweat break out on his forehead. The sound of the falling water grew gradually more garbled until all of the sounds around him seemed to move into an ungodly, dizzying swirl. He groaned softly and put a hand to his head.

_Maybe I wasn't being paranoid when I thought someone might poison me..._

He turned and tried to speak to Tetsuya, but instead, felt his legs suddenly collapse, and all at once, he was surrounded by water that instantly invaded his lungs through his open mouth and straining nostrils. He felt a shock of dark curiosity at being unable to move to save himself.

_What is this?_

_What the hell is happening?_

_Am I gonna die?_

Soft, unbearably cool hands touched him and he heard a distant voice in his ear.

_It's all right. You can breathe. I've lent you my ability to breathe in water. Breathe, Grimmjow!_

Recognizing Tetsuya's concerned voice, he sucked in a breath and found that even though it was full of water, it relieved the feeling of deprivation and allowed him to at least cling to the noble as Tetsuya, Koji and Akio dragged him out of the water and placed him in the soft grass on the shore.

"Get Byakuya-sama!" Tetsuya ordered Grimmjow's attendant, "Hurry, Akio!"

"Hai, Tetsuya-san!" the youth exclaimed, flash stepping away.

Tetsuya leaned over Grimmjow, his sapphire eyes fixed on the Espada's icier ones. Grimmjow squinted as the light around them seemed to grow blinding.

"Get out of here, Koji!" Tetsuya cried desperately, "His reiatsu is going out of control!"

"But Tetsuya-san, you will be...!"

"Get out, quickly!" Tetsuya insisted, forcing the attendant out of the chamber, using a waterform he had placed outside the chamber in the gardens.

"You should have gone with him," Grimmjow managed in a choked voice, "This is what your leader was worried about. My power's going haywire and could blow us up. Go on. You get out too."

"I will not leave you," Tetsuya insisted.

"Hey, don't be an idiot. I'm a hollow. You're a shinigami...and you're not tied to me like _he_ is. Get out while you can."

Tetsuya let out a soft breath and shook his head.

"I'm not being stupid. I have a waterform that I will shift to if there is an explosion. I am not in danger, but you are. I am attempting to keep you as stable as possible until my cousin arrives."

"Well, you're doing a shitty job," Grimmjow groaned, "I feel like I'm about to come apart."

"You already would have, if not for Tetsuya's intervention," Byakuya's voice suddenly informed him.

"Byakuya-sama!" Tetsuya exclaimed in a relieved tone.

"Go, Tetsuya," the leader ordered the younger noble, "I will take care of Grimmjow."

"I have a waterform ready for you...eh...in case of emergency," Tetsuya informed him, "But, Byakuya-sama, should we call for Urahara Kisuke?"

"Yes. Just...Tetsuya, be discreet. Right now, this is to remain between Urahara and me."

"But...?"

"Just do as I say!" Byakuya said more stridently, "Go, Tetsuya."

"Hai!"

Grimmjow watched silently as the younger Kuchiki disappeared out of the room, then fixed his eyes on Byakuya's determined expression.

"What's the deal?" he asked in a low voice, "Why are you so worried about who knows about this? You know something I don't?"

Byakuya sighed, focusing heavily on the errant and conflicting forces colliding within the Espada's shaking body.

"Many of the councilors of Central 46 were skeptical about this test," Byakuya explained, "They will likely be hasty in their reactions if they hear about distressing side effects. Urahara Kisuke warned us that if there were problems, we should inform him directly instead of reporting it directly to the council."

"So, he wants to filter the information they're being given?"

"Yes," the clan leader confirmed, "It is necessary to prevent them from being too swift in abandoning this test."

"And us right along with it, right?" the Espada concluded grimly.

"Yes."

Byakuya studied the hollow's face closely as he continued to try to balance the forces inside him.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked, expecting he knew what the reply would be.

"I feel like shit," Grimmjow panted softly, his eyes somehow maintaining a sense of dread calm, "like I'm an inch from blowing apart."

Byakuya was careful not to relay his suspicions.

"This isn't working, is it?" he asked.

"Not as well as I had hoped, but Kisuke is in the Seireitei. He should arrive shortly."

As if in tune with the noble, a flash step sounded and Kisuke appeared in the chamber and hastened to the fallen hollow's side.

"What's going on?" he said in a low, concerned voice, "Are you having trouble bringing him into balance?"

Byakuya looked back at the shopkeeper guardedly.

"I am barely keeping him poised at his limits," he confessed softly.

"I knew it..." the hollow breathed, "Damn it!"

"Don't panic," Kisuke said firmly, "You just swung the pendulum too far one way and you need a little help getting it back in position."

"What th'fuck does that mean? Say it so I can understand it, you moron!" the Espada yelled.

"Okay," Kisuke said, smirking and pulling a syringe out of his coat, "I'm gonna give you something to stabilize you."

"Do I wanna _know_ what's in that thing?" Grimmjow groaned unhappily.

"Probably not," chuckled the shopkeeper, "All you really need to know is that it will push you back a little in your transition, so that your systems can recover. It might take a little longer for you to complete the transition, but at least you and Byakuya probably won't die...provided you don't do this too often."

"Great...OW! Fucking prick!"

"Hey, Byakuya-san, why don't you try infusing him now?"

Byakuya moved in close again and began a fresh infusion. Immediately, Grimmjow gave a sigh of relief.

"That's getting better now," he reported.

He didn't miss the look of relief that touched Kisuke's grey eyes or Byakuya's still troubled expression.

"Hey, what if that hadn't worked?" he asked, "You have a backup plan?"

Kisuke exchanged glances with the clan leader and smiled at the hollow.

"Eh...that _was _the backup plan, but hey, it worked, right?"

"How about next time?" Grimmjow demanded, "What do we do then?"

"Erm, we'd better hope there isn't a 'next time,'" Kisuke said, shaking his head.

"Fuck!" Grimmjow seethed, "Goddamned shinigamis! You're trying to kill us!"

"Actually," Kisuke said, scratching his head beneath the edge of his striped hat, "Right now, it's harder keeping you alive than killing you."

"Ugh!"


End file.
